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Dark days: Readers ponder the death of a Cahokia teen and living off the grid

Dark days: Readers ponder the death of a Cahokia teen and living off the grid

FEATURE, JUNE 10, 2010ON THE DEATH OF LESTER WELLS JR.Not all the facts are in: There are only two — or possibly three — people who currently, absolutely know who killed young Lester Wells ["Tears of a Town," Nicholas Phillips]. God, Lester Wells himself and the killer. Rather than spiraling into an abyss of conjecture and emotional rumors, it makes far more sense to review the autopsy report. If needed, request that federal authorities confirm the actual autopsy findings. But trying to solve a problem by injecting hate and assumptions without bothering to garner the facts makes about as much sense as trying to extinguish a kitchen grease fire by throwing gasoline on it. At best, you can only exacerbate an already bad situation.Darryl Turner, via the Internet

Not a matter of black and white: First off, there is only one race, and that's the human race. You cannot assume it was white-on-black crime; it could have been black-on-black crime. His death was a crime against humanity. Whether it was self-inflicted or someone did this to him, we all suffer from his loss. The circumstances of his death need to be discovered and dealt with. Just because a black child is hanged doesn't mean he was lynched by white people. Witnesses need to come forward about the incident regarding the car. That is where you will find your best answer. Start there and work it to the bridge. The community of Cahokia has to come together to solve the crime of this child's death and to prevent more violence to children of the human race.JBH, via the Internet

Easy to figure: There's a young man in the eighth grade, a young man whose own mother gave him the ugly nickname of "Stinky." He's a young man who is allowed to spend the night with his girlfriend, a young man who comes from a violent, chaotic home. And people can't figure out why he might have killed himself?EPMGAW, via the Internet

DAILY RFT, JUNE 7, 2010HELEN THOMAS WAS RIGHTBless her heart: I have to disagree that Helen Thomas' comments about Israel were "bizarre," as you say ["A Word About Helen Thomas and the Danger of Staying Too Long," Ellis E. Conklin]. Her comments are not bizarre at all. She, of all people, probably understands the situation in the Middle East better than a lot of people writing policy in Washington. The fact is, Israel is guilty of many, many human-rights violations. Israel continues to steal land and control water that should be allowed to flow into Palestine, and it shoots holes in Palestinian water towers. It is even illegal for Palestinians to collect rain water. Palestinians are not allowed to travel freely on the roads.

Palestinians are second-class citizens, and the United States just continues to pump money into the Israeli economy while turning a blind eye to all that is going on. I think it is shameful that the White House had to condemn Helen Thomas' comments. The White House won't admit to the horrors of this occupation. The state of Israel bulldozed over Palestinian family homes, built a wall to keep them out so "God's chosen people" can buy sunglasses and Gucci bags — and the White House seems to be OK with that. Someone had to say something. God bless Helen Thomas.Amber, via the Internet

Failed search for original thought: So says the guy who writes a lame regurgitation of other opinion pieces in the Riverfront Times. Despite what Helen said, your condescension is laughable and suggests old people need to go away. What, exactly, have you accomplished to give you this power of declaration? Helen may have stayed for too long, but you don't appear to have arrived anywhere, except at the same conclusion other bloggers and journalists did over the weekend.Al, via the Internet

She's going where the goblins go: This old bitch will shortly be going back to where she came from — Hell.BO0y4h, via the Internet

DAILY RFT, JUNE 7, 2010CUT THE CRAP, COLINSmacks of hypocrisy: So, let me get this right ["Colin Beaven, the Man Who Lived Without Electricity in Manhattan, Speaks Tonight at Schlafly Branch of St. Louis Public Library," Steve Hardy]. You live a "no-impact" lifestyle, wrote a book (killing trees to get paper, the environmental impact from production, fossil-fuel consumption for delivery, cardboard for shipping boxes, etc. ), and now you're doing a book tour (fossil-fuel consumption for air and car travel, electricity usage for PA system at your talks and paper wasted for promotion). Irony, maybe — or is it just plain hypocrisy?KT, via the Internet